Couple in Bathtub | Intimate Art Paintings

Couple in Bathtub | Intimate Art Paintings

My Stories

Serenade | Couple in Bathtub Painting

Serenade is the third painting I’ve made of a couple interacting, while one half of the couple is enjoying a bath in a clawfoot tub. Serenade is a recent painting, the Pink Bathroom where the man is bathing is sold and was part of a solo exhibit at the Frederick Holmes Gallery in Seattle. I love my clawfoot tub, and have often had one where I live. There’s an intimacy captured by the water and this act of relaxation and routine being witnessed and shared by a couple. Moments of life often undepicted and the unseen pleasures of relationships offer a sense of solidity and a space for the viewer’s imagination.

Couple in Bathtub Painting

Woman In The Bath (2023) 60″x60″, oil on linen, by Betsy Podlach – Available for Sale

A Celebration of Intimacy

My artwork is a celebration of intimacy and the beauty found in everyday moments. I aim to capture the essence of real life, infusing it with vibrant colors and captivating shapes that transport the viewer into the realm of art. The scenes I depict are outside the consciousness of the subjects, allowing us to witness genuine moments of intimacy and be reminded of their magical nature. From soap dishes and radiators to the peace of talking and being close, I explore the beauty in the regular and routine occurrences that often go unnoticed. I nudge the viewer to transform the ordinary into something extraordinary, to explore the narratives in my work and add an original work of are to your daily life.

Couple in Bathtub

Pink Bathroom, 33″×33″, oil on linen, by Betsy Podlach – Sold

Intimacy

The Pink Bathroom painting was in my solo show in 2021 at Frederick Holmes Gallery in Seattle, where it quickly found a new home. The captivating Woman In The Bath is new and is in my studio in Philadelphia. Discover the contemporary charm of my latest bathtub masterpiece, recently displayed at the Woodstock Museum in NY. I focus on intimacy because it is something worthy of endless exploration. My bathroom-inspired pieces are intimate and personal, and the characters and objects tells a unique story. Shop now to bring artistic delight to your walls, or commission a bespoke piece that perfectly captures your personal vision. Shop now to bring a touch of artistic delight to your walls.

Intimate Couple Bathtub

Serenade (2023) 34″x34″, oil on linen, by Betsy Podlach – Available for Sale

Hydrangea Flower Paintings

Hydrangea Flower Paintings

My Stories

Hydrangeas

I love this flower – the hydrangea – and have been growing it for years in my gardens wherever I happen to live. I love the way one flower is many flowers, like a fractal, and forms a sphere of so many different colors – often on the same plant, from deep violet, to red, pink, and the best blues in nature. There is a grandness and gentleness to the hydrangea that no other blooms produce.

Hydrangea Flower Painting

Hydrangea Wall Paintings

My hydrangea paintings are ideal for bringing life and energy into any room. Discover the beauty of nature with vibrant colors and mesmerizing charm of hydrangea blooms. Transform your space into a tranquil oasis with these captivating artworks. Whether you prefer a modern or traditional aesthetic, these wall paintings will enhance the ambiance and add a touch of elegance. Brighten up your surroundings and let the timeless beauty of hydrangeas inspire you. Elevate your home decor with a stunning and one-of-a-kind piece of art that creates an atmosphere of peace and serenity.

Hydrangea Flower Painting

Hydrangeas For My Garden | Painting Inspirations

This captivating bloom possesses a grandeur and tenderness that is truly unparalleled, evoking a sense of tranquility and ethereal wonder. It is a flower that holds ancient wisdom of the delicate balance between strength and grace. To make my paintings I both buy cut flowers and bouquets and when I can bear it cut one or two growing in my back yard.

Hydrangea Flower Art

Experience the joy of owning an exquisite hydrangea painting and make a statement in your living space. Shop now, or request a commissioned piece to match your specific desires and bring the essence of nature indoors with a hydrangea wall painting.

Flower Bouquet Painting

Flower Bouquet Painting

My Stories

Flower Bouquet

For me, a flower or a bouquet of flowers in a painting, expresses and express relationships among other flowers and to other flowers that have been painted in history and that live in our world today. In these relationships, expressed specially chromatically and symbolically, there is emotion, history, dynamic juxtapositions and movement. Florals carve a long and consistent history in the work of so many artists in all eras regardless of the work they are best known for. They are at times, like playing a scale as a musician, the act of painting itself in their creation and because of their consistency of centuries in art. The flowers take on a very physical presence and can stand in for a living being, even a human being, but the sense of something from nature that rests in front of us unchanged that has been removed from life but lasts as such, also refers us to issues of life and death, nature, beauty and most of all color.

They can be  a very physical presence (as a symbolic stand-in or representation of a living being). The flower arrangement is not entirely unlike my figures in relationships that convey emotion and intellect from their internal minds and bodies. Both of my floral and human figure paintings express the presence of their existence as more than just mere objects or subjects, and more as beings with their own internal content and story to tell. In other words, although I believe that my paintings make a pronounced statement, especially when viewed hung on the wall of a home, they speak in a way that is not only bold in color and size, but they communicate a message through a deeply human language.

Floral Arrangement Paintings

Pink Roses on Pink 20x20in, available

Finding Inspiration from Cut Flowers

My goal is to bring the viewer to experience the delicate elegance of these vibrant blossoms, as they bring a touch of romance and sophistication to any space. I find that by taking photos of flowers that I find to speak to me, with their soft pink hues, I can create a serene and enchanting atmosphere, making them the perfect choice for adding a pop of color to your abode. Whether I paint a piece in the moment, or throughout many days, I’m never left feeling empty or unsatisfied, as in the process of making these Pink Roses, they captivate my heart and leave a lasting impression.

Flower Bouquet Painting

Roses, 28x28in. Available at Art Cabinet

Unique Floral Paintings

My floral bouquet paintings are captivating decorative pieces that breathe life into any room. With each stroke of the brush, I aim to imbue the floral arrangements with personality, emotions, and a deep sense of presence. Just like my figurative paintings, these florals tell their own stories, reaching beyond their mere existence as objects.

Flowers Bouquet Art
Unveiling The Hidden Meanings in Figurative Art

Unveiling The Hidden Meanings in Figurative Art

My Stories

Symbolism in Figurative Art

As a figurative artist, I often employ symbolism to convey abstract or complex ideas. Symbolic representations can be found in my choice of objects, colors, or even the positioning of figures within my artwork. For example, a flower might symbolize love or passion, while an otter could represent the joys of playfulness or the lightness of life.

Human Form Figurative Art

Flowers in White Pitcher 40″x38″, oil on linen, by Betsy Podlach – Available at Chase Young Gallery

Visual Analogies

I often use my figurative paintings as a way to employ metaphors to create visual analogies. I will use recognizable figures or objects to represent something else, often with the intention of evoking emotions or drawing connections between seemingly unrelated ideas. For instance, the white rabbit and the dreamer may evoke self-perception in a hidden reality.

Otter - Art Work by Betsy Podlach

Otter 28″x28″, oil on linen, by Betsy Podlach – Available at Chase Young Gallery

Allegorical Concepts

Sometimes, I don’t mind using allegory or characters or elements to represent abstract concepts or moral qualities. I may create allegorical narratives to convey specific and non-specific messages or commentaries on society, politics, or human nature. An example is Nap on Pink Rosebud Sheets, where I decided to use a woman sleeping next to a rabbit as an allegory of the dreamer of creativity with the rosebuds representing fertility.

Nap on Pink Rosebud Sheets
Nap on Pink Rosebud Sheets 54″x50″, oil on linen, by Betsy Podlach – Available at Fredrick Holmes Gallery
Human Form in Figurative Art

Human Form in Figurative Art

My Stories

I have depicted the human form over time from my earliest 1995-2000 figurative paintings to the present. The artisitc styles that have influenced my work include Expressionism, Abstraction, Impressionism, Classicism, and each has molded my artistic voice to what it is today.

I’ve used my art to examine how my own experiences, artistic temperament, and love of the human figure, sees the naked body as the most beautiful state and amazing version of the human form. I’m interested in all the ways women and men express their sensuality and sexuality. It’s important to me to show how women, during my lifetime, were inaccurately viewed as not having the same sensual and sexual appetite, or interest as men, or the right to express sensuality, celebrate and find joy in it.

Human Form Figurative Art

Serenade (2023) 34″x34″, oil on linen, by Betsy Podlach – Available for Sale

Lived Experience

Ultimately, there’s subtle emotion in my artwork as it comes from a place of lived experience. I tend to express myself and give my work meaning through the use of facial expressions, body language, relative placement of bodies and objects, and other techniques to capture emotion. Most of the females in my art are emotive portraitures of myself – a technique I use to create a sense of mood and atmosphere.

Human Form Figurative Art

Walking Through (2023) 48″x48″, oil on linen, by Betsy Podlach – Available for Sale

Power of Art Symbolism

I believe in the power of symbolism through figurative art to convey messages and ideas. Symbolism allows me as the artist to explore themes such as love, loss, hope, and freedom. I’ll often use animals and objects within a painting to inflect an idea that extends beyond the painted images. For example, in “Serenade 2023” you will see a hand with a watch, and an owl, which may signify time as the conscious physical realm and the subconscious “knowing” every moment is fleeting. However, the interpretation is open-ended because it’s up to the viewer to bring their own meaning.

Floral Figurative Painting

Roses (2023) 16″x16″, oil on linen, by Betsy Podlach – Available for Sale

Of Time/Out Of Time

Of Time/Out Of Time

My Stories

“These women and the men, animals and imaginary settings are both intense in their imagined past and future and in their presence depicted as a moment in time, a moment in which time is stopped – vulnerable, sexual, strong and engaged in the fullness of life, love, pain and joy.” – Betsy Podlach